[Politics] Levelling Up

[boik]

Oh yes it is.

But with what they’re sayin, it’s just playing at it. I’ve been reading about post-war Germany and particularly what the German Government has spent over the last 30 years or so - and is still spending - to level the old Eastern Germany up. Trillions rather than billions, and lots of them. And it meant taxing people, which our present government won’t do!

That's the age old problem in the UK though, isn't it. Anyone who says they will put up taxes won't get voted in. Ideally, all parties would commit to raising taxes, but it won't happen. A huge proportion of the population will vote for someone who gives them something in their pocket now, even it if means paying for it down the line with reduced services.

People want Scandinavian style services without the associated taxes. Not sure how we can break out of that.

 

[Gwylan]

However, not even the fat oaf is so stupid as to steal from his historically loyal vote force, surely? Or does he think that the traditional tory constituencies will carry on smiling and nodding whatever he does? Well.....he's been right so far.

Has he? Just look along the coast at Worthing which had zero Labour councillors in 2016 and now sees Labour as the joint largest party.

Look at the by-elections in Chesham & Amersham and Shropshire North where rock-solid Tory seats were lost.

There's a definite swing away in true-blue areas and this 'levelling down' will only accelerate it

 

[GOM]

Yep, over £100pm in our household, with the energy cap increase and likely further mortgage interest rates, could be looking at extra £2-300pm within 6 months.

A 1.5% rise is over £100pm in your household. Well that equates to a monthly income of a hell of a lot allowing for the limits before you pay NI and the reduction at the top end.

Maybe you can afford it.

 

[Brovion]

Well their mates who set up the companies to supply overpriced and useless PPE have to be paid somehow. It's not as if there's a magic money tree

That will just about cover the fraudulent bounce back loans and contracts for PPE they are not bothering to chase down.

Oh indeed. That's why simply putting up taxes (especially general ones that hit all of us) isn't the answer. Do you really want to give this government more money? They've already demonstrated they can't be trusted to spend it properly.

 

[stewart12]

Oh indeed. That's why simply putting up taxes (especially general ones that hit all of us) isn't the answer. Do you really want to give this government more money? They've already demonstrated they can't be trusted to spend it properly.

yeh I'm not overly delighted with the thought of one of their country club mates getting a big, lovely government contract using my hard earned money to be honest

 

[Randy McNob]

using taxpayers money (our money) to spend on new improvement projects in areas outside the south east, which is kind of what a government is expected to do anyway especially now many of these poorer areas have lost EU funding. Seems to be more backslapping for things general things expected of government, a bit like NHS vaccinations are a conservative party idea, or 20,000 new nurses actually meant they would keep the same Nurses they were planning to sack or 40 new hospitals is acually 4. It's just spin

Why don't they raise taxes on the big corps or the super rich?

 

[Notters]

Taking money from the south east. The same south east that includes East Sussex, 12 miles of dual carriage way in the whole county, the most dangerous single lane road (A21) in the UK, the main rail line only single tracked in many areas, the deprived area of Hastings, add to that southern Kent, the likes of Folkstone, Dover all run down hell holes.

The transport infrastructure in East Sussex definitely needs improving, but don't let that make you think that the deprivation in those areas is anything compared to, say Bradford.

https://mapmaker.cdrc.ac.uk/#/index...=imde19_rk&lon=-1.7633&lat=53.7877&zoom=11.26

But, as shown in the news this week, they are not taking money from the South East and giving to the north anyway. In fact, they appear to be doing the opposite, with areas such as Lewes getting the most funding!
https://www.theguardian.com/inequal...nding-inequality-exposed-by-guardian-research

I am assuming levelling up includes Northerners happy to pay Southern house prices ?

Ah this old chestnut. House prices in the north are actually surprisingly similar if you look at nice areas - it's just in the deprived areas where things are very cheap, and where you probably wouldn't want to live.

No it will bring Southern house prices down to Northern prices.

I can see it now "Barratt" new development in Hove. "Two bed semis from £40k, Three and four bed detached from £85k"

Please show me where you can get a new house for £40k! This is the latest development near me: https://www.newhomesforsale.co.uk/new-homes/west-yorkshire/menston/st-john-s-view/.


Anyway, this whole discussion is rather pointless, as (as per pretty much everything from this government), they're just saying things that will win them votes without any real intention of implementing any meaningful change.

 

[beorhthelm]

This is in her constituency at Firle.
Michael Gove’s Department for #LevellingUp, Housing and Communities actually did award £330,000 to repair the drive of a Tory peer, the 8th Viscount Gage, last year.
Their excuse was, he has a museum in the grounds.

Charlston, a gallery/art museum. as the road serves this and they applied for the funding, its a pretty good excuse.
there is a argument to made whether they should ask the landlord or a government fund for the money. if we agree it should be the landlord, that applies to an awful lot of other public services and charities who'd be affected. thats what happens with these development funds, a pot of money for groups to apply for, if they met the criteria. i've no doubt leveling up will be more of the same, its how government funding it done.

 

[vegster]

That's the age old problem in the UK though, isn't it. Anyone who says they will put up taxes won't get voted in. Ideally, all parties would commit to raising taxes, but it won't happen. A huge proportion of the population will vote for someone who gives them something in their pocket now, even it if means paying for it down the line with reduced services.

People want Scandinavian style services without the associated taxes. Not sure how we can break out of that.

My major High Street company is a series of franchises that pay virtual Minimum Wage and send the franchisees profits abroad while the holding company is based in the Channel Isles to avoid tax too.

Probably loads of other companies doing this too. Everything in this country is done on the cheap to try to skim a few quid extra..it shames us all when the German companies Lidl and Aldi pay better wages than that staunch old Tory company Sainsburys. It's why we have crap potholed roads, crap infrequent buses a dying High Street and a minimum wage future.

Why pour money in to education for people who will end up just delivering Pizzas or stacking shelves? If we had better jobs we would end up paying more in tax but, tax and NI is only 25-30% so we would still be better off.

Unless something changes we will end up a fully dysfunctional society of Alpha's, Beta's and Gamma's in a pyramid form with the low skilled Gamma's propping everything up.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Charlston, a gallery/art museum. as the road serves this and they applied for the funding, its a pretty good excuse.
there is a argument to made whether they should ask the landlord or a government fund for the money. if we agree it should be the landlord, that applies to an awful lot of other public services and charities who'd be affected. thats what happens with these development funds, a pot of money for groups to apply for, if they met the criteria. i've no doubt leveling up will be more of the same, its how government funding it done.

Yes, although the fact that Viscount Gage is a millionaire and uses the same drive is by the by. The museum isn't open until the summer whereas the roads in Newhaven are like an obstacle course.

 

[beorhthelm]

Yes, although the fact that Viscount Gage is a millionaire and uses the same drive is by the by.

that would be a twitter "fact"
(have a look at google map of Firle place and you'll see)

 

[Diablo]

Please show me where you can get a new house for £40k!


Tongue in cheek comment ....not to be taken seriously !!!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

The transport infrastructure in East Sussex definitely needs improving, but don't let that make you think that the deprivation in those areas is anything compared to, say Bradford.

.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58627335#:~:text=Hastings%20has%20been%20one%20of,fray%2C%20with%20neighbour%20helping%20neighbour.

You speak not out of your mouth

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

FYI - National Insurance (which is a tax despite its name), is going up 1.25% in April.

It's actually a c10% rise. It's going up 1.25 percentage points. Big difference in how this is often wrongly reported.

 

[Bodian]

It's actually a c10% rise. It's going up 1.25 percentage points. Big difference in how this is often wrongly reported.

Yes, a c10% rise, but not 10% of your income. That is - those on £100,000pa will pay £94 a month extra.

 

[Notters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58627335#:~:text=Hastings%20has%20been%20one%20of,fray%2C%20with%20neighbour%20helping%20neighbour.

You speak not out of your mouth

I literally gave a link to government statistics.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I literally gave a link to government statistics.

https://www.hastingsinfocus.co.uk/2019/10/14/only-12-other-council-areas-in-england-are-more-deprived-than-hastings-government-figures-reveal/

And so are these



Hastings and areas like them are never discussed as they are lumped into the rich South East.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

This is not completely true there is plenty of money in the government system that is wasted, if they cut out (or reduced) many of the inefficiencies and poor management there would be more money to spend on real things. Having worked with multiple Government Departments it is really depressing to see tax money squandered on such a major scale.

I find it hard to believe that there is that much waste in Government in the normal course of events, but then we hear that the current crowd has wasted billions - yes, billions - on PPE that can’t be used

I have read in recent days that post unification Germany has spent upwards of €2 trillion on infrastructure projects in East Germany - transport, environmental, creating employment and so on, with the implication that the German people accepted the need to do it all. There was a solidarity tax 5.5% on top of normal income tax rates to allow it to happen.

As pointed out elsewhere on here, it would need a massive political shift to make that happen here!

 

[beorhthelm]

I find it hard to believe that there is that much waste in Government in the normal course of events, but then we hear that the current crowd has wasted billions - yes, billions - on PPE that can’t be used

I have read in recent days that post unification Germany has spent upwards of €2 trillion on infrastructure projects in East Germany - transport, environmental, creating employment and so on, with the implication that the German people accepted the need to do it all. There was a solidarity tax 5.5% on top of normal income tax rates to allow it to happen.

As pointed out elsewhere on here, it would need a massive political shift to make that happen here!

absolutly right, we need more proper investment. can you imagine a solidarity or infrastructure tax going down well? or let the required infrastructure built without protest for that matter. our politicans dont seem able to sell investment, or we dont want to buy it.